I have two baby leopard tortoises, I would say my oldest is just under 9 months, the other is about 6 months....I have noticed in the past 6ish weeks a bit of pyramiding in both of them, more so in my older one.
oldest:
youngest:
Both currently live inside together here:
the hamster igloo used to be their humid hide, with damp sphagnum moss, but they refused to ever go inside. when I put them in, they would just walk right out. maybe they didn't like the color? now they opt to sleep together under the little fake leafy plant. I currently use cypress mulch, but was debating to switching to coconut fiber/dirt mix. I just like how clean the torts stay along with them not eating and drinking messy dirt all the time.
I have replaced their heat bulb with a ceramic heater because I installed a AC in my bedroom where they stay, but they share my room with my 5 chinchillas, therefore my room is kept pretty cool *normally 69 degrees*, but their living quarters stays at a nice warm roughly 90 degrees, and 97 right below their heat lamp. This stays on 24/7 with about 10 hours of UVB daily.
They eat a diet of organic lettuce mix's including romaine, baby herb romaine, with random add-in's of dandelion greens, kale, collard greens. I mix vitamins & calcium powder twice weekly.
I used to soak them nearly daily but it seems to become more stressful then helpful, the older one fought to get out of the big bowl I used the entire time, and the younger one stayed in his shell in protest-underwater (which was probably a half inch or so deep). I am confused on how this is helping their shells stay smooth, and not just successfully stressing them out. I do have a water dish in their habitat which I believe they think is solely their toilet because they only go in it to poop. lol.
I just want them to be as healthy & happy as possible. And I was always under the impression that pyramiding meanss unhealthy/lacking something. I would like to know if there is something more I should be doing/not doing from someone more experienced? Thank You!
oldest:
youngest:
Both currently live inside together here:
the hamster igloo used to be their humid hide, with damp sphagnum moss, but they refused to ever go inside. when I put them in, they would just walk right out. maybe they didn't like the color? now they opt to sleep together under the little fake leafy plant. I currently use cypress mulch, but was debating to switching to coconut fiber/dirt mix. I just like how clean the torts stay along with them not eating and drinking messy dirt all the time.
I have replaced their heat bulb with a ceramic heater because I installed a AC in my bedroom where they stay, but they share my room with my 5 chinchillas, therefore my room is kept pretty cool *normally 69 degrees*, but their living quarters stays at a nice warm roughly 90 degrees, and 97 right below their heat lamp. This stays on 24/7 with about 10 hours of UVB daily.
They eat a diet of organic lettuce mix's including romaine, baby herb romaine, with random add-in's of dandelion greens, kale, collard greens. I mix vitamins & calcium powder twice weekly.
I used to soak them nearly daily but it seems to become more stressful then helpful, the older one fought to get out of the big bowl I used the entire time, and the younger one stayed in his shell in protest-underwater (which was probably a half inch or so deep). I am confused on how this is helping their shells stay smooth, and not just successfully stressing them out. I do have a water dish in their habitat which I believe they think is solely their toilet because they only go in it to poop. lol.
I just want them to be as healthy & happy as possible. And I was always under the impression that pyramiding meanss unhealthy/lacking something. I would like to know if there is something more I should be doing/not doing from someone more experienced? Thank You!